&&. BAD BLOOD }

      “Weird question, but do you like your job?”

      “I guess that I’m just not that violent. It’s more exhausting than anything else.”

      “Drunk frat boys groping me is not normally something I want to get money for. If they’re gonna do it, I’d let them do it for free in the proper setting. Besides, I feel like my ass is worth more than fifty bucks.”

      “I’m not really trying to manage anyone. That takes more leadership skills than I naturally possess, plus my coworkers don’t listen to me now, so I doubt they would later.”

      “Are you sure you want to talk about all of this?”

      She looked up from her writing. “It’s just uh, Calculus. It helps me clear my head like humming seems to evidently help you. I can’t stand Sudoku so I do this.”

      “You seem to have two perfectly functioning legs so you could just walk away. Maybe pull that stick out of your ass while you’re at of it.”

      “So besides skeletons, what other things were your kids dressed up as?”

      Feeling awkward, she placed her hand on his back and gave it a pat. “Hey, uh... don’t - don’t do that. It’ll be okay. There are tons of girls and guys. Whatever you’re into. One rejection should get you upset. Look, I’ll buy you a drink. Deal?”

      “I feel like I should be saying thank you, but I’m too curious as to why you think I’m lucky to have it. Also curious as to why you still haven’t put on pants.”

      “I ----- never mind. It doesn’t matter. So, about these belugas: did you guys catch them from the wild or get them from another contained exhibit?”

      “Okay, no. I take it back. You can keep them. Love them to death, but I get enough of that with my parents. Maybe. Maybe I just have a short attention span.”

      “Well, that isn’t depressing at all.”

      “I didn’t realise ‘working in hospitality’ was synonymous with ‘drunk beach frat boys gorging themselves on nachos get to slap your ass’. No amount of tipping will ever make me okay with this.”

      “Do I know anything about biology? Do red blood cells crenate when you’re dehydrated? I mean, yes. That’s a yes.”

      “It was sarcasm, please remember to breathe. I knew you weren’t, I was just fucking with you. Nate. I will try to commit that to memory. Iris. Just call me Iris.”